Here are Carien’s top tips....

Dahlia tubers

Try any variety with long stems and watch it grow like mad from mid-May. Dahlias are incredibly productive as cut flowers as they regrow in the same season following the principle known as cut-and-come-again, which means that if you keep on picking flowers, the plant will form new shoots and new flowers, as long as you keep on feeding, staking and watering it well. They are amazingly easy to sow under glass too.

Sowing from seed

Cosmos should be your number one annual cut flower plant. I have always found it unbelievable that this plant is never grown by the Dutch flower industry, as even my grandmother knew that with only one package of seed you could fill up many vases with ephemeral flowers in summer. They’re easy to grow, under glass or straight in your flower bed.

Adding colour

Grasses and Amaranth are perfect fluffy fillers and will give any bunch of flowers a tremendous lift and airy volume. They are incredibly easy to grow, even straight into the soil. But now (early spring) is the time to sow them under glass. Although a big job as seedlings are tiny, pricking out is very rewarding.

Perennials and herbs

Some of our most beloved garden plants also work well as cut flowers.

Some perennials, like herbs, particularly well-established ones, don’t mind the occasional haircut that much and can be a great addition to a cut flower garden.

Roses are worth a punt

Garden roses are not primarily bred for cutting, but in my eyes are far more , wild and romantic than any bunch you can buy in a flower shop. Make sure the rose has pretty foliage too, as this will make your arrangement so much better.